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A holiday house swap leads to heartwarming hijinks in the third installment of Liz Maverick’s festive Winter Nights series. After a broken engagement, Cher ditches sunny California to spend her first Hanukkah in snowy NYC. Her cute but complicated new neighbor, Eliot, is also nursing a broken heart. As sightseeing trips around the city turn into flirtatious escapades, Dara Rosenberg and Andrew Eiden’s narration of this often funny and always adorable romance captures the warmth of celebrating the holidays with friends who feel like family, and the magic of New York City in winter. —Margaret H.
Whether he first made you laugh on Nickelodeon’s hit series All That or during his ongoing run as SNL’s longest-serving performer, Kenan Thompson has been warming hearts with sketch comedy for decades. For many fans, myself included, it feels as if we grew up alongside the former teen star. And while an imagined sense of familiarity with a celeb is, of course, a delusion, When I Was Your Age reminds us why, with Thompson, it is so easy to believe. His down-to-earth likability and undeniable realness underlie all of his performances, including this recording, which hilariously illustrates how self-doubt and confidence both played significant roles in paving his path to success. The wisdom he has gleaned from being a girl dad shines throughout the memoir, and is a pleasure to listen to. —Haley H.
Reclusive crime novelist Nadiya lives a quiet life: She spends her days writing books under a pen name. After taking a DNA test, Nadiya finds out that she has a brother, who then comes to live with her. Chase is an aspiring influencer who cannot stay off social media. When the apartment upstairs is burglarized, Chase makes a choice, and posts it all on TikTok. Millions of views later and the siblings are right in the middle of an organized crime scandal, leaving them with no option but to clear their names before they’re next. Performed by a top-tier cast led by TikTok star Abelardo Campuzano, #CrimeTime delivers a hilarious, thrilling listen that left me shocked to learn that this audio original was based on a real event experienced by authors (and IRL husband and wife) Jeneva Rose and Drew Pyne. —Patty R.
Early in their Words + Music entry Under My Control, Canadian duo Tegan and Sara reflect on how central freedom, experimentation, and ownership have been to their sound from the very start. Wielding that do-it-yourself determination and a fierce dedication to their art, the Quin twins quickly became icons of the indie scene. But along that journey, they conquered anxieties born from their startling catapult onto the main stage and the tensions of touring, maintaining an inventive sense of sonic playfulness at every turn. In this introspective look back at the road so far, the musicians get vulnerable about their evolution (both creatively and in their relationship with one another) and all that’s still to come. (Oh, and their new recording of “Walking with a Ghost”? Nothing short of exquisite.) —Alanna M.
A holiday treat for the morbidly curious
I felt so seen by the December timing of this bone-chilling collection of macabre history: true stories of ancient burial chambers, hidden treasure, and serial killers, just in time for the holidays? Merry Christmas to ME! As half of the bestselling mystery duo Preston & Child, Douglas Preston spins a captivating yarn, but his reporting chops also get to shine in this compilation of the investigative journalism that’s inspired his famous fiction. Whether he’s dissecting the iconic mystery of Dyatlov Pass (case closed, IMO), allegations of cannibalism in the Chaco civilization, or the enigmatic “monster” of Florence, Preston’s tales are both creepy and brainy—sometimes literally. Engagingly read by Will Collyer, they’re the perfect bite-size escapes anytime you need a reprieve from the jolliness of it all. —Kat J.
Finally, no-BS money tips for all
Anytime a woman starts talking about personal finance, I stop and listen. After all, it’s a conversation that I wasn’t always invited to participate in. Whether it’s my brother telling me that stocks are “too complicated for you to understand,” or my parents insisting that I need to hire their CPA to file my taxes (fully knowing that I’ve successfully filed them for a decade on my own), the implication is often that managing money is a man’s job. Sadly, many women can relate. Enter Vivian Tu: I’ve been following her on TikTok (@yourrichbff) for some time now, and her videos always get me to stop scrolling—she demystifies earning and saving for anyone who wants to spare their attention. I can’t wait to learn more about her story as a Wall Street trader and take in her no-BS, straight-to-the-point tips for making money in her audiobook—sans the condescension and ambiguity. —Rachael X.
Eating your way to a healthier mind
As I’ve grown older and wiser I’ve started to rethink the concept of “comfort food.” And since I consumed a metric ton of sausage stuffing last month, I’m really rethinking it. Because I actually feel best, and most comforted, when I’m eating a nutritious diet (I just need to be reminded sometimes). And there’s no one better to remind me than Uma Naidoo, a nutritional psychiatrist and trained chef. In her sequel to This Is Your Brain on Food, she tackles the world’s most diagnosed mental health condition—one that she herself suffers from: anxiety. (I’ve been known to be a bit anxious myself). What Naidoo understands maybe better than anyone is that anxiety is rooted not just in our minds but in our guts. And this listen is just the inspiration I need to put the sausage stuffing behind me and start the new year with the ingredients for a healthy body and mind. Bon appétit! —Phoebe N.
A bittersweet play about female friendship
Laura Linney and Jessica Hecht give an acting master class in David Auburn's gentle, two-person play about female friendship. Diana (Linney) and Alice (Hecht) are both white, college-educated, Midwestern women whose ambitions have been derailed by having children and changing their goals. It's those kids that bring them together as friends, although they couldn't be more different in personalities, their approach to parenting, or living their frustrated lives. Having Linney and Hecht close to my ears is pure pleasure, and the story is so real and relatable (never giving in to easy sentimentality) that the bittersweet ending leaves an indelible mark. —Jerry P.
This Audible Original dramatization of the Dickens classic David Copperfield is exactly what I needed to close out 2023 and get in a holiday mood. It's executive produced by Academy Award-winning film director Sam Mendes, has a cast to die for (Ncuti Gatwa, Helena Bonham Carter, Theo James, Richard Armitage, Jessie Buckley, Toby Jones, Jack Lowden), and sound design that delights. With a perfect blend of tradition and innovation, it warms the heart, sparks nostalgia, and showcases the beauty of modern-day production magic and Dolby Atmos audio. I recommend listening with a hot mug of cocoa or eggnog next to a roaring fire. —Tricia F.
